16 To humans belong the plans of the heart,
    but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue.^(A)

² All a person’s ways seem pure to them,^(B)
    but motives are weighed^(C) by the Lord.^(D)

³ Commit to the Lord whatever you do,
    and he will establish your plans.^(E)

⁴ The Lord works out everything to its proper end^(F)—
    even the wicked for a day of disaster.^(G)

⁵ The Lord detests all the proud of heart.^(H)
    Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.^(I)

⁶ Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord^(J) evil is avoided.^(K)

⁷ When the Lord takes pleasure in anyone’s way,
    he causes their enemies to make peace^(L) with them.^(M)

⁸ Better a little with righteousness
    than much gain^(N) with injustice.^(O)

⁹ In their hearts humans plan their course,
    but the Lord establishes their steps.^(P)

¹⁰ The lips of a king speak as an oracle,
    and his mouth does not betray justice.^(Q)

¹¹ Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
    all the weights in the bag are of his making.^(R)

¹² Kings detest wrongdoing,
    for a throne is established through righteousness.^(S)

¹³ Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
    they value the one who speaks what is right.^(T)

¹⁴ A king’s wrath is a messenger of death,^(U)
    but the wise will appease it.^(V)

¹⁵ When a king’s face brightens, it means life;^(W)
    his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.^(X)

¹⁶ How much better to get wisdom than gold,
    to get insight^(Y) rather than silver!^(Z)

¹⁷ The highway of the upright avoids evil;
    those who guard their ways preserve their lives.^(AA)

¹⁸ Pride^(AB) goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit^(AC) before a fall.^(AD)

¹⁹ Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
    than to share plunder with the proud.

²⁰ Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,^[a](AE)
    and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.^(AF)

²¹ The wise in heart are called discerning,
    and gracious words promote instruction.^[b](AG)

²² Prudence is a fountain of life to the prudent,^(AH)
    but folly brings punishment to fools.

²³ The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent,^(AI)
    and their lips promote instruction.^[c](AJ)

²⁴ Gracious words are a honeycomb,^(AK)
    sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.^(AL)

²⁵ There is a way that appears to be right,^(AM)
    but in the end it leads to death.^(AN)

²⁶ The appetite of laborers works for them;
    their hunger drives them on.

²⁷ A scoundrel^(AO) plots evil,
    and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.^(AP)

²⁸ A perverse person stirs up conflict,^(AQ)
    and a gossip separates close friends.^(AR)

²⁹ A violent person entices their neighbor
    and leads them down a path that is not good.^(AS)

³⁰ Whoever winks^(AT) with their eye is plotting perversity;
    whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

³¹ Gray hair is a crown of splendor;^(AU)
    it is attained in the way of righteousness.

³² Better a patient person than a warrior,
    one with self-control than one who takes a city.

³³ The lot is cast^(AV) into the lap,
    but its every decision^(AW) is from the Lord.^(AX)

² I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;^(C)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”^(D)
3 I say of the holy people^(E) who are in the land,^(F)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods^(G) will suffer^(H) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names^(I) on my lips.

⁵ Lord, you alone are my portion^(J) and my cup;^(K)
    you make my lot^(L) secure.
⁶ The boundary lines^(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.^(N)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;^(O)
    even at night^(P) my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,^(Q) I will not be shaken.^(R)

⁹ Therefore my heart is glad^(S) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,^(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,^(U)
    nor will you let your faithful^[b] one^(V) see decay.^(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;^(X)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,^(Y)
    with eternal pleasures^(Z) at your right hand.^(AA)

³ The cords of death^(E) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name^(F) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!^(G)”

⁵ The Lord is gracious and righteous;^(H)
    our God is full of compassion.^(I)
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,^(J) he saved me.^(K)

⁷ Return to your rest,^(L) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good^(M) to you.

⁸ For you, Lord, have delivered me^(N) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
⁹ that I may walk before the Lord^(O)
    in the land of the living.^(P)

¹⁰ I trusted^(Q) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;^(R)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”^(S)

¹² What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness^(T) to me?

¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name^(U) of the Lord.
¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows^(V) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

¹⁵ Precious in the sight^(W) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.^(X)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;^(Y)
    I serve you just as my mother did;^(Z)
    you have freed me from my chains.^(AA)

¹⁷ I will sacrifice a thank offering^(AB) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows^(AC) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹ in the courts^(AD) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.^(AE)

Praise the Lord.^[a]

“My soul glorifies the Lord^(BD)
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,^(BE)
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.^(BF)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,^(BG)
49     for the Mighty One has done great things^(BH) for me—
    holy is his name.^(BI)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.^(BJ)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;^(BK)
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.^(BL)
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.^(BM)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things^(BN)
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful^(BO)
55 to Abraham and his descendants^(BP) forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(BZ)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(CA)
69 He has raised up a horn^[c](CB) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David^(CC)
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(CD)
71 salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors^(CE)
    and to remember his holy covenant,^(CF)
73     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(CG)
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him^(CH) without fear^(CI)
75     in holiness and righteousness^(CJ) before him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(CK) of the Most High;^(CL)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(CM)
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,^(CN)
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun^(CO) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,^(CP)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(CQ)